Greenland - What a Wonderful World

Facts about holidaying
in Greenland (part 2/10)

Preparing for a holiday in Greenland

Updated February 1996


This information is provided by Greenland Tourism a/s, the official tourist board of Greenland

Tourist offices
Map material
Literature
Greenlandic activities and culture centres in Denmark

You will always get most out of a trip if you have had an opportunity to familiarize yourself with your destination beforehand. Possible sources of relevant information are described below.


Tourist offices

All towns in Greenland have a tourist office or service function able to provide information about accommodation and experience opportunities in the individual town. The tourist office can also advise you on and organize special events as well as arranging contacts with, for example, institutions and public authorities.

Most tourist offices also offer guided outings, sales of homecraft and similar. Some tourist offices hire out kayaks, tents, sleeping bags, skis, bicycles and fishing gear.

Since the possibilities for experiences and activities, local transport and forms of overnight accommodation other than hotels and seamen's homes often change and are largely seasonal, it would be expedient to enquire about the latest changes even during your planning phase.



Greenland Tourism a/s, Copenhagen

Information office where travelers to Greenland can obtain information about holiday destinations prior to departure.

Greenland Tourism a/s is staffed by Greenlandic, Danish, English and German-speaking personnel who are willing to deal with all enquiries by phone or in writing, responding with brochure material as well as advice and guidance of an individual nature. Highly specific questions, however, will be referred to more specialized institutions.

One essential function of the office is the distribution of Greenland Tourism a/s' own brochures and information material.

For larger organized events in which Greenland is represented, either directly or indirectly, the office can offer support in the form of display/exhibition material, video lending and brochures. Other forms of support can be discussed on an individual basis.

Greenland Tourism a/s
P.O. Box 1139
DK-1010 Copenhagen K
Denmark
Tel: +45 33 13 69 75
Fax: +45 33 93 38 83

E-mail: tourism@greennet.gl



Map material

Key map
Under the auspices of the National Survey and Cadastre, Denmark, a number of maps have been produced over the years on different scales and with varying quality. To mention just a few of these here: the key or index map, 1:5,000,000, of the whole of Greenland, Orthofoto's 1:100,000 of North Greenland and a series of maps with 1:125,000, covering all ice-free areas throughout Greenland with the exception of North Greenland.

Additional information and sales from:

Kort- og Matrikelstyrelsen, Kortsalget
(National Survey and Cadastre, Denmark, Map Sales)
Rentemestervej 8
DK-2400 Copenhagen NV
Tel. +45 35 87 53 10
Fax +45 35 87 50 51

Kalaallit Nunaat Atlas is an excellent general survey work in Danish and English versions, which in addition to map material includes a wealth of information about Greenland in general: Natural conditions, weather, climate and a large body of statistical material.

This atlas is distributed through:
Atuagkat Boghandel (Bookshop)
P.O. Box 1009
DK-3900 Nuuk
Greenland
Fax: +299 23378

Based on the National Survey and Cadastre's basic material, SAGA-Maps has produced a series of 20 maps in all, which in a user-friendly way cover the inhabited and most commonly visited areas of Greenland. The scale is 1:250,000, the equidistance 50 m. The maps are marked with towns and villages, ruins from former Inuit and Norse settlements, sled tracks and waterfalls.

Please bear in mind that the legend for the maps must be requested as an appendix, as it is not printed on the actual maps.

SAGA-Maps also publishes historical guides with text and illustrations. To date, these cover four areas: Nuuk, whose theme is the "Norse Period"; Ammassalik, whose theme is "Traditional Greenlandic Culture"; Disko Bay, where the theme is the "Colonial Age"; and finally Sisimiut/Kangerlussuaq, whose theme is "Whaling" and the American presence at Sondre Strom Air Base (1942-1982).

The historical guides are published in Danish, English, German and Greenlandic and are available both as separate guides as well as printed on the back of the four 1:250,000 SAGA-Maps in question.

Price level:
Single, folded map sheets: approx. US $10.
4 map sheets in plastic folder: approx. US $30, and the complete series
of 20 maps for approx. US $130.

Marine charts
A number of charts of Greenlandic waters are available. For sailing beyond rock distance, the key maps on a scale of 1:400,000 can generally be used.

A large part of the most densely sailed part of the coast has been mapped on detailed charts, i.e. 1:80,000 and/or 1:40,000. For certain seas and individual channels, fairways and straits, there are detailed special-purpose charts from 1:20,000 right down to 1:2,500.

Not all map material is up to date, however, and not all Greenlandic waters have been surveyed. The material is currently undergoing general revision.

These charts are produced by the National Survey and Cadastre, Denmark.

Further information and ordering/sales in Denmark:
Iver C. Weilbach & Co. a/s
Toldbodgade 35
Postbox 1560
DK-1253 Copenhagen K
Tel. +45 33 13 59 27
Fax: +45 33 93 59 27

Locally in Greenland, charts are sold in the KNI Ship's Supplies Departments in major towns and at the bookshops in Ammassalik, Sisimiut and Nuuk.

Hiking maps
Greenland Tourism a/s has produced completely new hiking maps for 13 areas. For South Greenland 3 water-repellent secondary maps have been produced in A2 size (43.5 x 61.5 cm). These are sold cased in plastic together with an updated hiking guide, and cover the area around Narsarsuaq, Narsaq, Qaqortoq and the entire Vatnaverfi Peninsula to Alluitsup Paa (in Danish, Sydproven). For Ammassalik Island two secondary maps have been produced together with an updated hiking guide in Danish, English and German.

Please check the special hiking map information

The new hiking maps are on a scale of 1:100,000 and are based on entirely new photogrammetrical plotting made from aerial photos. North-South meridians have been drawn in and lines corrected for variation.

The distance between the contour lines (equidistance) will be 25 m. The maps are printed in 6 colors with place-names included according to the new orthographical conventions. It will be possible to gauge the size (and passability) of watercourses from the map with reasonable certainty. All lakes larger than 100 m have been included and the shape of the lakes reproduced for recognizability - a great advantage for detailed orienteering in Greenland.

On the maps and in the route descriptions, recommended hiking trips have been drawn in as well as a large amount of information of value to the hill-walker, including the degree of complexity of the hike, overnight accommodation, rough camping sites, boat routes, fording points, archaeological sights and supply replenishment points.

The route descriptions are published in Danish, German and English, while the maps also feature Greenlandic text.

In Greenland, the maps pack can be bought at tourist offices and at the bookstore Atuakkat in Nuuk.



Literature

A limited range of travel literature is available in foreign languages, but here is a list of the most essential publications.These books will often contain supplementary references to the literature.

English guides:
- Iceland, Greenland & the Faroe Islands, Deanne Swaney.
- Trekking in Greenland, Torbjorn Ydegaard.
- Greenlandic for Travellers, Birgitte Hertling.

English, miscellaneous:
- Flowers of Greenland, J. Feilberg et al.
- Kalaallit Nunaat - Atlas - Greenland, C. Berthelsen et al.
- Greenlandic Songs and Poems, Elisabeth Lyberth, ed.
- An African in Greenland, Tete-Michel Kpomassie.
- Highlights of an Arctic Revolution, Philip Lauritzen.
- The Greenlanders, Jane Smiley.
- Faroe, Iceland and Greenland - Cruising Notes, Imray Laurie Norie

German guides:
- "Grönland", Manfred Horender and Wedigo Ferchland. - Dumont Landschaftsfuhrer Grönland, Heinz Baruske.
- Mai's Weltfuhrer Grönland, Mai Verlag.
- Grönland, Reisehandbuch Fur Einzelreisende, Martin Kamp.
- Wandern in Grönland, Torbjorn Ydegaard.
- Island und Grönland Kennen und Lieben, Hans J. Kurtz.
- Ostgrönland, Rainer H. Schweisser.
- Island, Grönland, Danemark und die Färöer der Frauen, B. Manker et al.

German illustrated works:
- Eskimo Jager des Hohen Nordens, B. & C. Alexander.
- Grönland, Nachbar des Nordpols, Hans J. Kurtz et al.
- Grönland, Naturparadis im Norden, M. Schwid et al.

German, miscellaneous:
- Die Grönland Saga, Jane Smiley.
- Die Letzten Könige von Thule, Jean Malaurie.
- Der Grosse Fanger, Marta Tikkanen.
- Ein Afrikaner in Grönland, Tete-Michel Kpomassie.
- Die Magische Grenze, Robert Peroni.
- Der Weisse Horizont, Robert Peroni.

Danish guides:
- Turen går til Grønland, Lone Madsen.
- Vandreture i Grønland, Torbjørn Ydegaard.
- Grønlandsk parlor, Birgitte Hertling.
- Grønland idag - en introduktion, Mads Fægteborg.

Danish, miscellaneous:
- Grønlands blomster, Jon Feilberg.
- Grønlandske fugle - en felthåndbog, David Boertmann.
- Erik den Rødes Grønland, Knud Krogh.
- Glimt af en arktisk revolution, Philip Lauritzen.

French guides:
- Tasiilaq/Ammassalik - une introduction, Catherine Enel.
- Kalallit Nunaat - Groenland Nord-est, Christian Kempf et al.
- Groenland, GNGL Travel Book

French, miscellaneous:
- Ammassalik ou la civilisation obligatoire, Robert Gessain.
- Groenland, passion extreme, Robert Laffont.
- Les derniers rois de Thule, Jean Malaurie.
- Mon passe eskimo, Georg Qupersimaan.



Greenlandic activity and culture centres in Denmark

The five Grønlænderhuse, or Greenlander Centers, were originally student hostels and meeting places for Greenlanders doing their studies and Greenlanders living in Denmark. Today, they function to a greater extent as cultural centers. Greenlander Centers offer courses and lectures on Greenlandic affairs and are able to organize courses by way of preparation for holidays.

In addition, Greenlander Centers can arrange contacts with other relevant institutions in Denmark and Greenland as well as replying to enquiries of a general and specific nature. In addition, the centers can send out a certain degree of brochure material on Greenland. Greenlander Centers are also the home of associations and clubs dealing with traditional Greenlandic culture, such as kayak-building, choristry, pearl embroidery and other arts and crafts.

A number of exhibitions on Greenland are held annually, and from these Greenlander Centers, homecraft, literature, posters, Greenlandic music and the world-famous Greenlandic Christmas
seals are sold.


E-mail Greenland Tourism a/s

Next page

Top of page
Greenland Tourism Info-desk
Greenland Guide Index

Provided by Greenland Guide & Greenland Tourism
http://www.greenland-guide.dk